Ottawa Psychoanalytic Society

The Ottawa Psychoanalytic Society (OPS) provides a forum for the members’ exchange of ideas and learning through study groups, invited lecturers, and clinical days. It also offers, under the auspices of the new OPS Centre for Education and Outreach, a number of outreach programs to the general public: specifically, we offer a thoughtful and stimulating forum for elucidating psychoanalytic topics by viewing a film and discussing it from a psychoanalytic point of view (the Film and Psychoanalysis Program). Each film discussion is led by a psychoanalyst who presents his or her interpretation of the film. The society also offers lectures and presentations by invited guest analysts and OPS members on topics of interest to the public in general. Our outreach meetings also include exchanges of ideas with our colleagues in academic settings via meetings and conferences. We offer courses for mental health professionals and at times lecture series on more advanced subjects for colleagues. We welcome dialogue with the broad community on matters pertaining to psychoanalytic thought. In recent years the OPS has twice been the host society for the Annual Scientific Congress of the Canadian Psychoanalytic Society, most recently in June 2011.

A training institute (a branch of the Canadian Institute of Psychoanalysis) was created in Ottawa in the late 1970s. The first class of candidates training in psychoanalysis began in 1978. Psychoanalytic training is currently available in Ottawa.

The Ottawa Psychoanalytic Society (OPS) is a branch of the Canadian Psychoanalytic Society (CPS), which is a component society of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA). In 1967 the Canadian Psychoanalytic Society transformed itself into a confederation of branch societies; the first three were the CPS-Quebec English, the CPS-Ontario (now the Toronto Psychoanalytic Society), and the CPS-Section francaise (now the Société psychanalytique de Montreal). Originally named the CPS-Ottawa, the Ottawa Psychoanalytic Society was established as the fourth branch society in Canada. It was founded in 1972, eight years after the first IPA-member psychoanalyst had arrived in Ottawa. Keith Mills was the first president of the OPS and Antoine Lepage was the second. Today the OPS numbers 22 members, of whom 2 are abroad and 20 are practising psychoanalysis in Ottawa.

A consulting psychoanalyst is available to people who are interested in knowing more about the process of psychoanalysis, including whether it would be of benefit to them personally. This can be arranged by contacting the president of the society. The roster of psychoanalysts who are members of the Ottawa Society, as well as writings, events, and other psychoanalytic happenings, are available on the OPS website.